MADISON, Wis. –
Bruce McLeod, one of the most influential and successful
commissioners in the history of collegiate ice hockey, has
announced his intent to retire on June 30 at the end of his current
contract. Now in his 20th season at the helm of the 62-year-old
Western Collegiate Hockey Association, McLeod has made a truly
significant mark on both the game itself and the organization he
has led.
“It has been my
distinct honor to serve this wonderful organization as Commissioner
for the past 20 years and to be associated with the Western
Collegiate Hockey Association for 49 years – since
1965,” said McLeod. “The opportunity to get to know and
to work alongside so many outstanding coaches and administrators,
to become acquainted with so many marvelous student-athletes, and
watch our sport grow and prosper has been a blessing. I will
forever be a fan.”
Chosen by the membership
to succeed the retiring commissioner Otto Breitenbach in 1994,
McLeod has led the WCHA to ever greater heights. Recognized
throughout the sport as one of its true leaders, his half-century
of experience and wealth of knowledge about the game run the gamut
from his days as a standout collegiate player at Minnesota Duluth
in the 1960s, to a school administrator in the 1970s, 1980s and
1990s where he worked closely with the league and served on
numerous committees, and on to a notable tenure as commissioner of
a premier collegiate athletic association. Pure and simple, McLeod
has always been one of the game's biggest fans.
“We will forever be
grateful for the commitment, loyalty and leadership of Commissioner
McLeod,” said Dr. Richard Davenport, President of Minnesota
State University and Chair of the WCHA Board of Directors.
“His integrity, work ethic, unselfishness and enthusiasm for
both the WCHA and the sport of college hockey shine through in
every thing he does. Bruce has led the league to tremendous
successes over his 20 years, all the while keeping the focus on the
member institutions, student-athletes and staffs. We also are
indebted to him for the tremendous efforts and leadership he put
forth during the recent transition period in college hockey, where
he was instrumental in making certain the WCHA remained a leader
and a competitive and successful organization. We wish him all the
best in retirement.”
A native of Fort Frances,
Ontario, McLeod has presided over some of the most successful
seasons in the seven decades of men's WCHA history, including
eight national championship campaigns by league teams in 1997,
2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011, and has from the
get-go been a vocal and strong proponent of a women's WCHA
that has won 14 consecutive national championships since its
founding in 1999-2000. His tenure with the WCHA has also seen 10
men's member team players awarded the Hobey Baker Memorial
Award as college hockey's top player and six women's
skaters win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Conference
attendance for both the men's and women's leagues has
also grown throughout his tenure, with the men's WCHA
exceeding the 1,000,000 mark in home attendance for 18 consecutive
seasons through 2012-13.
“On behalf of the
conference's athletic directors, I want to thank Bruce for
his years of service to the WCHA,” said Suzanne R. Sanregret,
Director of Athletics at Michigan Technological University and
Chair of the WCHA. “He has been a passionate leader for the
league, and his work has added to the legacy of the WCHA and the
prominence of college hockey across the
country.”
Within the WCHA, McLeod
has been the driving force behind the success of the WCHA Final
Five playoff championship, having built productive, long-term
relationships with the NHL's Minnesota Wild, Xcel Energy
Center, the City of Saint Paul and FOX Sports North as a television
partner between 2000 and 2013, and now forging new partnerships
with Van Andel Arena, the City of Grand Rapids and the AHL's
Grand Rapids Griffins for future WCHA Final Five championships
beginning this coming March. At Xcel Energy Center, the WCHA Final
Five steadily grew into what's been considered by many to be
the best conference hockey tournament in the land based on
attendance, revenue, sponsorships and exposure. The WCHA Final Five
drew attendance totals in excess of 82,000 six times in the decade
of the 2000s, with a record 88,900 in attendance in 2007, 87,579 in
2006, and 87,295 in 2013.
McLeod was behind the
launch of a new era for the league with the advent of an official
web site at WCHA.com, the production of a weekly radio show known
as 'This Week in the WCHA', a decade-by-decade video
and narrative chronicle of the men's WCHA that covered the
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the creation of an all-new
Broadmoor Trophy that is presented to the league playoff champion
each year, high quality reproductions of the MacNaughton Cup and
Broadmoor Trophy that go to the championship teams each year, a
striking and bold update of the league's iconic logo and a
unique WCHA Style Guide created in 2013 that accentuates the WCHA
brand, its history and championships and is complete with
downloadable league and team logos, official colors, and usage
guidelines. And now, here in 2013-14, he was a driving force in the
first-ever conference-wide broadband and video streaming initiative
with America ONE Sports – a successful development which has
enabled fans around the world to watch men's league-member
home games live and on demand.
McLeod's tenure has
also included a regular connection to the international hockey
community, which resulted in overseas trips for WCHA All-Star Teams
in 1998 to Switzerland for the Kolin Cup and in 1990 to Norway, as
well tours of WCHA member clubs by European-based hockey teams from
Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Italy and Latvia. McLeod has
also been a regular visitor to the annual IIHF Men's World
Championship, where he meets up with officials and his many friends
within the international hockey community.
McLeod orchestrated the
WCHA's memorable 50th Anniversary Season celebration in
2000-01, which featured among the many promotions a season-long
announcement of the WCHA Top 50 Players in 50 Years, a
commemorative poster and commemorative merchandise, and a highlight
reception and celebration of the WCHA in Saint Paul during the WCHA
Final Five weekend. Among the legends in the WCHA Top 50 Players in
50 Years are the likes of John Mayasich, Bill 'Red'
Hay, Keith Magnuson, Tony Esposito, Bill Masterton, Red Berenson,
Brett Hull, Chris Chelios, Doug Palazzari, Mark Johnson,
'Huffer' Christiansen, Bill Nyrop, Tom Kurvers, Ron
Grahame and Greg Johnson.
Ever a proponent of
encouraging the growth and expansion of the collegiate game, McLeod
has been instrumental in the addition of new men's member
teams in Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1999, Bemidji State
University and University of Nebraska Omaha in 2010, and most
recently, in the midst of an upheaval of the collegiate hockey
landscape and the loss of eight teams during the summer of 2012,
keeping the WCHA out front as a leader. The league went out and
secured six new teams in University of Alabama Huntsville,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University,
Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University and
Northern Michigan University, and combined with University of
Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Technological University
and Minnesota State, give the league a highly-competitive 10-team
circuit beginning with the 2013-14 season.
McLeod has always been
among a select group of individuals who have had continual impact
on the college hockey scene – whether the topic concerns
playing rules, expansion, the national tournament, sponsorships and
promotions, professional ice hockey, or television. He was
instrumental in the formation of a new Division 1 college hockey
league – College Hockey America – which announced in
2001 that they would name their championship trophy in his honor.
He is a key contributor to the sport on national, international and
professional levels and plays a lead role in the Hockey
Commissioners' Association. The HCA has been a springboard of
ideas for the six Div. 1 conference's, having introduced a
national rookie of the year award, the Derek Hines' Unsung
Hero Award, national player and rookie of the month awards, a XM
Satellite radio show, and the formation of College Hockey, Inc. He
also serves on the Board of Directors for both College Hockey Inc.,
and USA Hockey, Inc.
“Bruce has been a
great colleague, and, more importantly, a mentor and friend, said
Steve Hagwell, ECAC Hockey Commissioner. “From the moment we
met back in the late 1990s to today, Bruce's passion for the
sport and tireless efforts to enhance the game – not just the
league he administers – have been evident. Hockey, not just
college hockey, is losing a true advocate of the sport. It truly is
my privilege and honor to call Bruce my friend.”
In January of 2007, at the
passing of longtime colleague and former WCHA Commissioner Otto
Breitenbach, McLeod's passion could be felt in his
words.
“There are really no
adequate words to describe what Otto meant to all of us in the WCHA
family as well as throughout athletic circles across the
country,” said McLeod. “Otto touched so many lives in
so many positive ways over the years and so many of us owe so very
much to him. Our lasting memories of his qualities as a father,
grandfather, coach, leader and mentor are a fitting tribute to a
truly great man. Three words always come to mind when I think of
Otto – quality, class, gentleman. He has left a noteworthy
legacy through everyone that ever had a chance to know him and we
will all miss him dearly.”
McLeod's on-going
efforts on behalf of amateur ice hockey have seen him twice honored
nationally – first with the United States Hockey Hall of
Fame's first-ever President's Award in 2003 and second
with the American Hockey Coaches' Association Jim Fullerton
Award in 2004. The President's Award is presented to an
individual who has made a significant and long-term commitment to
the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
“Being honored with
the first President's Award was unexpected, but I'm
very appreciative”, said McLeod at the time. “When I
work with various groups, I don't think about recognition
such as this. In my many years of working with the United States
Hockey Hall of Fame, the pleasure has truly been
mine.”
The Jim Fullerton Award,
meanwhile, recognizes an individual who loves the purity of the
sport of ice hockey – whether a coach, administrator,
trainer, official, journalist or simply a fan – and who
exemplifies Jim Fullerton, who gave as much as he received and
never stopped caring about the direction in which the game was
heading. McLeod has been involved with the U.S. Hockey Hall of
Fame's annual fund-raising game since it's inception in
1974, when it was first played in the Eveleth Hippodrome, and has
helped bring the game into ever bigger arenas.
“Through
Bruce's efforts and commitment to help the Hall, we have this
wonderful college hockey game once a year and in many cases our
Faceoff Classic has opened new arenas across the country,”
said Jim Findley, Board of Directors and President of the U.S.
Hockey Hall of Fame.
Here in the 2013-14
season, commitment to the game of college hockey by the league and
its teams continues as strong as ever, and McLeod could not be
happier that the future of the league is bright. Covering a wide
and diverse geographical area of more than 4,100 miles and across
five time zones, the 10 men's and eight women's member
institutions that make up the WCHA feature the best in both
educational and athletic environments, administrations dedicated to
the sport and the student-athlete, and enthusiastic fans across the
board.
“As a group,
we've had some bumps and bruises and weathered some difficult
times, but the one thing that has remained constant has been our
respect of each other and our collective commitment and effort to
do what's best both for the WCHA and the game of ice
hockey,” said McLeod. “And of that I could not be more
proud.”
Prior to being named WCHA
Commissioner, McLeod had over 25 years of service at his alma mater
of Minnesota Duluth, serving as Athletic Director, assistant
athletic director, business manager, and sports information
director after graduating in 1969. One of the people he worked for
at UMD and still admires to this day was the late Ralph Romano,
former hockey coach and successful athletic director who was a
major influence in the growth and success of collegiate athletics
there. McLeod was a four-year hockey player for the Bulldogs,
producing 81 points in 77 games as a winger between 1966-69. He
ranked second in scoring in the WCHA as a sophomore and served as
UMD's team captain in 1968-69.
Indeed, the Western
Collegiate Hockey Association – and the entire ice hockey
community – owe a debt of gratitude to Bruce McLeod. His
tireless efforts in promoting the game at all levels, ensuring a
memorable experience for student-athletes who play the game, and
working diligently to ensure its continued growth and health, have
ensured a legacy that puts him among the legends of the
game.
What
They're Saying about Bruce
McLeod...
Joe Bertagna,
Commissioner, Hockey East
Association: “Bruce has become not
just a professional peer but a good friend. While all of us who
serve as commissioners have passion for our jobs, no one has been
more emotionally attached to the fortunes of his conference than
Bruce has been to the WCHA. His strong appreciation of history and
tradition is something for which I will always remember him. He has
made more contributions to our game than most people will ever
realize or appreciate.”
Dean Blais,
Coach, Nebraska Omaha and North
Dakota: “Bruce McLeod has been a
friend for over 40 years and has been instrumental in the success
of the WCHA at all levels. His leadership and guidance has provided
opportunities for athletes, coaches, trainers and administrators to
excel at the highest level. He will be missed by everyone, but will
enjoy his leisure and freedoms. Thank you
Bruce!”
Keith
'Huffer' Christiansen, UMD
teammate: “Bruce McLeod has been a
loyal and supportive friend to me for over 50 years. I know he has
devoted his life to the betterment of college hockey. For Bruce, it
was never about any one school or individual, but solely what is
best for the game of hockey. He will truly be
missed.”
Rick Comley,
Former Coach – Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan,
Michigan State: “In many ways Bruce
McLeod has been the best that college hockey has to offer. Every
day his goal was to make the WCHA the best it could be. Coaches and
administrators will miss his friendship and guidance. Best wishes
Bruce, and thanks for all you have done.”
Craig Dahl,
Former Coach, St. Cloud
State: “Congratulations on your
retirement from a long career of service to the WCHA. You are an
example of class, caring, and integrity. And you always made others
feel special. My thanks to you my friend!”
Bob
DeGregorio, Commissioner, Atlantic Hockey
Association: “Bruce McLeod has been a
catalyst in helping to improve and advance Division 1 Ice Hockey.
Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with him in
several capacities and he has always worked for the betterment of
Division 1 Ice Hockey. We have become good friends through our many
hours together attending meetings, the Ice Breaker, the Frozen
Four, etc. He loves dinner in the North End in Boston and the
cannoli's from Mike's. I wish Bruce a long, healthy and happy
retirement.”
Pat Francisco,
UMD Teammate: “I've known Bruce
since he came to UMD as a skinny kid from Fort Frances. From that
time till now, Bruce has always shown the ability to positively
connect with people and to exhibit enduring loyalty. Bruce is
inclusive and the consummate team player. If one looks back at the
measurable success of the WCHA, one would find these virtues to be
at the heart of that success. That's his style, that's
his legacy, and in my opinion, it is more rare than it ought to be
in today's business world. I congratulate Bruce on his
success and retirement and I am proud to call him teammate and
friend.”
Ron Grahame,
Assistant Vice Chancellor/Senior Associate Athletics Director,
University of Denver: “I have known
Bruce McLeod for over 30 years and have always viewed him as a
principled individual, dedicated to doing what was best for college
hockey and the sport of ice hockey. He could be counted on to bring
all constituents together toward a common goal while
acknowledging the many different perspectives of each institution
and their staff, as well as other conferences. His tireless work as
the Commissioner of the WCHA was instrumental in growing the league
to a position of preeminence throughout the
country.”
Steve Hagwell,
Commissioner, ECAC Hockey: “Bruce has
been a great colleague, and, more importantly, a mentor and friend.
From the moment we met back in the late 1990s to today, Bruce's
passion for the sport and tireless efforts to enhance the game
– not just the league he administers – have been
evident. Hockey, not just college hockey, is losing a true advocate
of the sport. It truly is my privilege and honor to call Bruce my
friend. I will miss our interaction, but certainly hope that our
paths continue to cross.”
Norm Jones,
Longtime Hockey Television and Radio
Broadcaster: “I grew up in Colorado
Springs watching the WCHA and Colorado College. My first media job
was broadcasting CC hockey and then later University of Denver
hockey. My point is to simply focus on the great tradition of WCHA
hockey through the years. In my opinion, there was no one better
than Bruce McLeod in maintaining and improving upon the foundation
of the best collegiate hockey league in the country. His
development of the post-season tournament and WCHA Final Five made
it the best in the country. What I most respect about Bruce was his
steadfast and determined effort to make certain the WCHA continued
on in the strongest possible manner following the recent shake-up
of the college hockey landscape. I will always value his friendship
and support.”
Tom Kurvers,
former NHL General Manager, Stanley Cup Winner, Hobey Baker
Memorial Award Winner: “Bruce has been
a good friend since we met in Duluth in 1980. His commitment to UMD
and the WCHA have helped shape college hockey. The WCHA tournament
became one of the finest hockey events in the world under his
guidance. Bruce is a hockey lifer … and a genuine good
guy.”
Walt Kyle,
Coach, Northern Michigan: “I have been
fortunate to know Bruce closely for more than 30 years, from his
time at Minnesota Duluth, the first era when Northern Michigan was
in the WCHA, and on to him being WCHA Commissioner. His love and
passion for the game of college hockey, and his dedication and
commitment to the sport, have always been at the forefront. His
integrity and his leadership, and the enthusiasm that comes through
in every conversation I've had with him, have left no doubt
that what he was doing was always in the best interest of the
league and the game. I will always value his friendship and
advice.”
Jack Larson,
General Manager, Xcel Energy
Center: “Bruce McLeod leaves an
incredible legacy as Commissioner of the WCHA. Under Bruce's
leadership the WCHA became a conference powerhouse, and the WCHA
Final Five became the most successful college hockey tournament in
the nation. Bruce is the kind of guy you want to have on your team;
good-natured and good-hearted. His dedication and passion for
promoting collegiate hockey is immeasurable. We couldn't have
asked for a better partner and we wish him all the
best.”
Don Lucia,
Coach, Minnesota and Colorado
College: “When I arrived at Colorado
College in 1993 and spent the next 20 years coaching in the WCHA,
there was no greater mentor for me than Bruce McLeod. He is someone
I have always greatly respected and nobody gave more to the WCHA as
a player and administrator, or cared more about the league, than
Bruce. I want to thank him for all his service to help grow college
hockey during his time and wish him all the best in
retirement.”
Joel Maturi,
Former Athletic Director,
Minnesota: “I have always stated that
being the Commissioner of a one-sport conference is extremely
challenging because of the membership make-up. Bruce McLeod has
done an unbelievable job of responding to the needs of the WCHA
membership, whether they be Division I, II or III institutions. The
success of the WCHA on and off the ice is second to none in college
hockey. We have been the envy of all due to Bruce's ability
to add institutions, improve the play-off system and develop the
successful WCHA Final Five. Bruce is respected by his colleagues
for his love of the game, his ability to communicate and his desire
to do what is best for the sport. His imprint on the league and the
game are immeasurable. Bruce has been a colleague, commissioner,
confidant and friend. I treasure our relationship and am thankful
that he and his wife, Sande, have been in our
lives.”
Dave Ogrean,
Executive Director, USA Hockey,
Inc.: “Bruce has always had the best
interests of the game at heart,” said Dave Ogrean, executive
director of USA Hockey. “He's had such a positive
impact on the sport overall and in particular at the college level.
We wish him nothing but the best in
retirement.”
Doug
Palazzari, Executive Director, US Hockey Hall of Fame
Museum: “Bruce has contributed so much
to college hockey over the years. His love for the game and calm
demeanor in approaching problems and opportunities will be sorely
missed by everyone. What a great career! Thanks
Bruce.”
Bob Peters,
Former Coach, Bemidji State and Commissioner, College Hockey
America: “Bruce McLeod has had a
profound and positive impact on U.S. collegiate hockey over his
20-year tenure as Commissioner of the WCHA. His tireless efforts on
behalf of the sport, for both men and women, are legendary. McLeod
played a major role in establishing the WCHA's women's
league, an excellent display of his foresight. In addition, his
strong guidance is evident in the very successful WCHA Final Five,
long regarded as the most prominent post-season championship
tournament in the history of collegiate hockey. A person of
unfailing dedication, he truly ranks as a collegiate hockey
legend.”
Jeff Sauer,
Former Coach, Wisconsin and Colorado
College: “Bruce McLeod has both
continued and enhanced the long-standing traditions and financial
success of the WCHA in his time as Commissioner. Under his
leadership, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association was –
without reservation – the best collegiate hockey conference
in the country.”
Tom Serratore,
Coach, Bemidji State: “Bruce McLeod
has been a steady presence in the world of college hockey, helping
shape one of the most prestigious college hockey conferences in the
nation. His commitment to the game, its players, fans and
institution members is evident in the great successes of the WCHA
and its tremendous fan following. His vision and integrity will be
greatly missed.”
Greg Shepherd,
WCHA Supervisor of Officials, College
Referee: “For more than 20 years as a
colleague and over 30 years as a friend, Bruce McLeod has always
been a person I looked up to. This is a sad day for our sport. We
are losing a true mentor. A person that cares about everyone more
then himself; a person that works 365 days a year to make college
hockey the best. I have learned so much from Bruce. How to treat
people, how to deal with upset coaches, and just life in general.
Because of him, I am a better man, a better supervisor and a better
person. The WCHA and all of college will miss him and what he has
done.”
Mike Snee,
Executive Director, College Hockey,
Inc.: “Bruce McLeod has contributed so
much to college hockey since his playing career began at Minnesota
Duluth in 1966. It will be hard to imagine him not being
commissioner of the WCHA next fall. I've been fortunate to
work with Bruce in a variety of roles for nearly 15 years now and
have enjoyed all of it. His love for college hockey is evident the
moment you meet him. Bruce is a true legend of college
hockey!”
Rick Yeo,
Former Athletic Director, Michigan
Tech: “I was honored to have been the
Chair of the Selection Committee when Bruce McLeod was chosen as
WCHA Commissioner. During his tenure, he exhibited the fine
qualities that we expected from him in making our decision. Bruce
was considered the leading Commissioner in NCAA hockey, due to his
keen knowledge of the game, tireless efforts to do whatever was
best for the sport, and willingness to communicate with all levels
to improve the game. One of his major accomplishments, I believe,
is the growth of the WCHA Final Five, which brought about capacity
attendance and helped league member institutions considerably
financially. Bruce was 100% committed to his task and will be a
difficult man to replace. He is a dear friend and I wish him well
in his much-deserved retirement.”
